Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Hidden Oklahoma Gem

Recently I had the chance to visit The Artesian Hotel,Casino & Spa which is nestled in the heart of Sulphur, Oklahoma. I am a
born and raised Okie but had yet made my way down south to visit Sulphur. The
town is in southern Oklahoma north of Tishomingo home of Blake Shelton and
Miranda Lambert for all you that aren’t fellow Oklahomans. Also located right
by the Lake of the Arbuckles and the Chickasaw National Park. I had heard
wonderful things about the Artesian Hotel so when I found out I would be
getting the chance to visit the elegant hotel for a board retreat I was pretty excited.

The Artesian is a one-of-a- kind historic hotel that offered
the perfect weekend getaway destination spot. The hotel was originally built in Sulphur in
1906 and was known as popular spot for celebrities, politicians and tourists,
such as John Wayne, how fun! The hotel housed the town’s only elevator as it
stood four stories high until it was destroyed in a fire in 1962. In 1965 it
was rebuilt and named The Artesian Motor Hotel until 1972 when they were on the
verge of bankruptcy and the Chickasaw Nation bought them out. The hotel was
used for the tribe’s headquarters and renamed the Chickasaw Motor Inn until the
tribe moved their offices in 1977. In
2010 the hotel was remolded and named The Artesian Hotel, Casino & Spa. The
new Artesian now has restored one of the area’s most loved hotels to its
original beauty. The beautiful hotel offers guests an amazing spa, entertaining
casino and amenities for your whole family.

I checked in on Friday at five o’clock and immediately regretted
not arriving earlier in the day to take full advantage of all the hotel offers.
The outdoor pool was bustling with children and people of all ages and every
barstool was taken at the Fountain Club with people welcoming the weekend with a
cocktail. I had a dinner plans at the hotel’s restaurant that evening with the
rest of the board so I skipped the cocktails to check into my room and clean up
some before dinner.

My room was stunning. It exceed every standard I had envisioned.
The detailing was on point with a very classy but cozy atmosphere. This was the
first hotel I have ever been to that I didn’t feel like that crammed every room
together to make space for more rooms. The room was spacious and the bathroom
was open with a huge bathtub!

Springs at the Artesian is held right inside the hotel offering
great balcony seating with a view of the
town of Sulphur. It is small little quaint town but holds some true beauty. Since we had a larger group we opted to dine
inside but it was still very enjoyable. With a wide variety of selections I
chose the filet, roasted mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus with a glass of wine.
The restaurant would be a wonderful
venue to hold an event as a wedding rehearsal dinner, family gathering or any
celebration. Obviously it was also great for a meeting dinner as well.

After dinner I went on a short walk and took a stroll through the casino. I am not personally a big casino fan because well I'm cheapand I work hard for my money! But I wanted to check it out and it was definitely packed full of people having fun! I wasn't sure about pulling out my camera...because I once got kicked out of a Blake Shelton concert that was held in a casino for taking pictures...womp womp.

As an event planner I planned the board retreat at The Artesian
and I have to say the conference rooms, catering and event staff were great to
work with. If you are looking for a great place to hold a meeting in Oklahoma
look at The Artesian it is definitely worth considering. The board members were
all welcome to bring their families to the retreat as well and they all enjoyed
their stay.

This was not a sponsored post by The Artesian I just love
finding hidden gems in my home state and couldn’t wait to share with y’all! If
you aren’t an Oklahoman and ever find yourself in Sulphur, Oklahoma let me
know!